Grain-binder.



No. 745,082.' PATENTED NOV. 24, 1903. G. R. STRAUGHN. GRAIN BINDER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.17, 1903.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

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- No. 745,082. 'PATENTED NOV. 24, 1903.

0.3. STRAUGHN.

GRAIN BINDER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.17, 1903.

'NO MODEL.

6 SHEETSSHBBT 2.

witness as Inventor I 07201165 R StJCLUiiUZ mwzouw By his fitter may THL Momma warns on. mom umc WASHINGTON n. r:

PATENTED NOV. 24, 1903.

U. R. STRAUGHN.

GRAIN. BINDER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN 17, 1903.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

NO MODEL.

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No. 745,082 'PATENTED NOV. 24, 1903. G. R. STRAUGHN. GRAIN BINDER. APPLICATION FILED JANL17, 1903.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

HO- MODEL.

fizi/enfor CilarZes R. Stray/Z72 I B y his fitter-fie 6 1 "m: NORRIS PEHZRS co mom-Lrma, WASHINOYON, n, c.

. No. 745,082. PATENTED Nov. 24, 1903.

V c. R. STRAUGHN.

GRAIN BINDER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 17, 1903.

I10 MODEL. 6 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

k W I Charles R 367'117/272. g I his flzzorrze I No. 745,082. PATENTED NOV. 24, 1903.

c. R. STRAUGHN.

GRAIN BINDER.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.17, 1903.

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i H w I l i iii E 0 \2 a Witness es Iva/enter M Cizou'Zes Rfirtronuyhn 9W THE Noam: PETERS co. FHOfd-LIYHO, wumamom n, c,

Unrrn STATES Fatented November 24, 1903;

CHARLES R. STRAUGHN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

GRAIN-BINDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 745,082, dated November 24, 1903.

Application filed January 17, 1903. Serial No. 139,436. (No model.)

To on whom it may concern:

Be itknown thatI, CHARLES R. STRAUGHN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania,have in vented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain- Binders, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

My invention relates to improvements in grain-binders in which packing mechanism advances the material to be bound wisp by wisp or stalk by stalk against a resistant and other means by which the binding mechanism is tripped into action and the binding material thereby caused to encircle the accumulated bundle and haveits meeting ends united by means of aknot or otherwise; and the objects of my improvement are, first, to dispense with the usual U-shaped binderframe for supporting the binder mechanism; second, to provide a binding mechanism in which all the positively-operated parts are situated upon the same side of the grainpassage, and, third, to atford facilities for the proper adjustment of the binder mech anism in a direction lengthwise of the material being operated on. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which my improvements are shown in connection with a corn-harvesting machine designed to cut one row at a time and to bind the stalks while they are sustained in substantially upright position; but my invention may be applied to the ordinary grain-harvesting machine in which the grain is elevated above the drivewheel and deposited upon an inclined deck in a horizontal position by slight changes in its construction without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Figurel is a top view of the binding mechanism and so much of a corn-harvesting machine as is thought sufficient to illustrate my invention. Fig. 2 is a side view of Fig. 1, particularly the binding mechanism; Fig. 3, a plan view of the cord-carrying arm and its actuating mechanism; Fig. 4, a side view of Fig. 3; Fig. 5, a plan view of the separating-arm and its actuating mechanism; Fig. 6, a side view of Fig. 5; Fig. 7, a plan view of the floating twine-guide; Fig. 8, a

plan view of the packing mechanism. and means for operating the movable portion of the cam-track in connection therewith; Fig. 9,a side view of Fig. 8; Fig. 10, a plan view of the binder tripping mechanism; Fig. 11, a side view of Fig. 10; Fig. 12, a detailed view of the controlling-cam forming a part of the upper packing mechanism; Fig. 13, a vertical section of Fig. 12; Fig. 14:, a do tailed View of the cord-carrying and knotstripping mechanism; Fig. 15, a side View of Fig. 14; Fig. 16, an end view of the slid ing stripper and twine-guide; Fig. 17, a vertical section of Fig. 18; Fig. 18, aplan View of the controlling-cam forming a part oi the lower packing mechanism; Fig. 19, a detailed veiw of the cam mechanism that operates the cord-guide and stripper'slide; Fig. 20, a top view of the frame that carries the various parts of the binding mechanism; Fig. 21, a side view of Fig. 20; Fig. 22, a top view of the yielding gate that operates across the binderthroat. Fig. 23 is an enlarged detail of the mechanism for operating the cord-holder. Fig. 24 is a face view of the cord-guide. Fig. 25 is a side view of the guide. Fig. 26 is a section through the guide at rightangles to the aXis of the rollers, and Fig. 27 is a detail of the holder for the end of the cord.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views. 7

The flaring approach 1 receives the stalks from the corn engaging and advancing mechanism (not shown) and guides them into the throat portion 2, where they are engaged by the packer-fingers 3 and passed beyond the yielding gate 4 against the resistant 5, that operates in the double capacity of a tripping-arm and a compressor in a manner that will be described later. The yielding gate 4 is swung rearward by the action of the packers operating upon the incoming stalks, and as soon as these stalks are advanced beyond the gate it is quickly returned across the passage-way and holds the stalks in position. In the operation of binding the bundie the gate acts as a resistant to the forward compressing movement of the compressorarm 5, its rear edge 44 acting as a positive stop to the reboundingof the grain under the pressure of the arm 5. The packer-fingers 3 are pivoted to a supporting-wheel 6 and. have heel portions 7, upon which rollers 8 are mounted that-engage with the cam-tracks 9 upon the plates 10 and control the position of the fingers as they advance toward the binder-throat and recede therefrom. The packer-carrying wheels 6 are continuously driven by the shaft 11, to which they are secured, said shaft deriving its motion from the shaft 12, that-forms a part of the cutting and carrying mechanism of the completemachine, which may be any of the well-known forms, by means of the sprocket-wheels 13 and 14, and a chain connection or other means may be employed to drive the said shaft 11.

When the packers have advanced sufficient of the material being operated upon against the tripping-arm 5 to cause it to recede far enough to turn the eccentric 15, secured to the tripping or compressor shaft 16, the said eccentric will move the short arm 17 of the tripping-lever 18, causing said lever 18 to vibrate on its pivot 19, as shown in Fig. 10. The continuously-driven sprocket-wheel 14 is provided with clutch-teeth 20, that are adapted to engage with a driving-pawl 21, that is pivoted on the hub 22 of the knotterdriving wheel 23. The pawl is normally held from engagement with the clutch-teeth by means of a shoulder portion 24 engaging with the end of the vibrating tripping-lever 18, said tripping-lever being yieldingly held against the shoulder portion by the spring 25, acting in conjunction with the plungerbolt 26, that is pivotally connected with the long arm of the tripping-lever. \Vhen the -tripping-lever is disengaged from the shoulder, a spring 27 operates to throw the pawl outward to engage with the clutch-teeth.

1 The binding arm or needle 28 is given a reciprocating movement across the throat 2 by meansof the crank 29 and pitman 30 and is supported at its outer end by a cross-head 31, that slides between the guideways 32 and 33, supported at their outer ends by the crosstie 34 and brace 35, the inner ends of the guideways and brace being secured to the frame 36.

The inner end of the needle is supported and guided by the bearing 37 on the frame 50 36, through which it slides, and is provided with a pointed and hooked end 38, similar to acrochet hook or needle, that is adapted to engage with the binding material when properly presented to it. Upon the opposite side of the throat-passage 2 is a twine-guide 39, having an eye 40, through which the twine passes on its way from the twine-box (not shown) to the tier mechanism. The twineguide has a limited movement upward and downward by means of a slotted hole and a bolt 41, that. passes through the slot and loosely holds it against the breastplate 42. A plate-spring 43, secured at one end to the breastplate by a bolt 44, has its opposite end resting upon the twine-guide in a manner to yieldingly hold it against the breastplate and allow it to slide under slight pressure between the guiding-ribs 45 and 46. The twineguide 39 is also provided with rollers 47 and 48, that are spaced apart sufficiently to allow the needle to pass between them, and should the guide vary somewhat from its normal position in the same plane as the needle its construction and connections will allow it to be raised or depressed by the action of the needle. The needle in passing between the rollers passes above the twine, and on its return movement its book portion catches it and carries it along with it to the tier mechanism on the opposite side of the throat 2.

To guard against the possibility of the needle encountering an ear or stalk in its passage across the throat, there is provided a partingarm 49, secured to a shaft 50, To operate the parting-arm, there is provided a camtrack 51 on the knotter-driving wheel 23, the engaging end of which is provided with a roller 52, that engages with a curved lever 53, secured to the shaft 50, and when the parting-arm is thrown forward to the position shown by'dotted lines in Fig. 5 the roller 54, pivoted on the curved lever 53, operates, in conjunction with the cam-track 51, to sustain it in its forward position until the end of the cam-track is reached, when the spring 55, acting torsionally between the frame 36 and the shaft 50, will quickly return it to its initial position.

It is advisable to have the packing mechanism arrested in its action during the operation of binding the accumulated bundle,and to. secure that result there is provided a movable portion 9 of the cam 9 on the plate 10, that is pivoted in a bearing 56, forming a part of the plate 10. On the end of the journal portion 57 of the movable portion 9' of the cam 9 is secured a gear-segment 58, that engages witha gear-segment 59, secured to the shaft 50, the gear-segments being proportioned relative to their pitch-circles to give the movable cam a movement great enough to allow the packer-fingers to cease their operative action against the stalks and to recede endwise from the throat 2.

By means of this mechanism the movable portion 9 of the cam 9 partakes of the positive forward motion of the parting-arm 49 and is instantly thrown into operative position through its return movement.

The plates 10 are secured to the frame 36 and are provided with car portions 10' or the base-piece 11, through which they are held tosaid frame. The plates are made right and left handed and are identical in construc-v tion, excepting the manner of securing them to the frame.

Any of the common form of knotters may be used in connection with my improvement, suitable means being provided on the wheel 23 for operating it.

a gear-segment 61 on the wheel 23, meshing with the knotter-pinion 62. The segment of gear 61 is shown in Fig. 1. v

63 is a common form of cord-holder disk, and 64 is a spring-pressed shoe operating therewith. j

The cord-holder disk is operated by means of the pinion 65 and gear-segment 66 on the compressor-actuating wheel 67. The disk is given a quarter-turn at each revolution of the wheel 67, and the usual delay-surface 68 operates to hold it motionless during the rest of the movementof the wheel. When the binder mechanism is tripped into action, the movement of the wheel 23 causes the pinion 89 to revolve, carrying the crank 29 with it. This crank, through the connecting-pitman 30, causes the needle to reciprocate across the passage, bringing the twine acrossin front of the bundle, it being understood that the end of the twine is held by the cord-holding disk on the same side of the passage-Way as is the knotter. The holding-disk and knotter are in turn caused to perform their respective functions, the knotter being given one revolution to complete the knot-and the disk having a quarter-revolution to secure the twine. The knife severs the twine between the disk and hook and the stripper strips the knot off the hook, leaving the end of the twine held in the disk. The wheel 67 is driven by the knotter-driving wheel 23 through the intermediate pinion 69. 70 is an elbow-lever pivotally connected to the frame 36 at 71, and 72 is a roller upon the short arm of said lever engaging with the cam-track 73 on the wheel 67. The long arm of the lever is connected with a spring-carrying yoke 74, that has a sliding bolt that in turn is connected with a crank 75 on the tripping and compressor shaft 16. The yoke 74 is one corresponding with a Well'known form in this class ofmachinery. The sliding bolt draws against the action of two springs, one light and the other heavier, the lighter one being the trippingspring and the heavy one the compressorspring. The sliding bolt is threaded into a nut that acts upon the lighter spring at the end of the yoke and slides upon guideways provided on the yoke. Between the two springs is a sliding block that is limited as to its outward movement, but is free to slide inward on the guideways on the yoke when a compressing strain is applied to the compressor-arm.

WVhen the stalks are accumulating in the binder-receptacle and the operative action of the packer mechanism forces them against the tripping arm, it yields rearward and rocks the shaft with which it is connected, and the crank-arm on the shaft draws in ward on the sliding bolt in the compressor-yoke. The initial movement of the bolt acts against the light spring, and as the shaft is rocked the cam 15 operates to move the trippinglever 18 away from contact with the pawl 21, and it connects with the clutch-teeth on the driving-sprocket and the binding mechanism beginsits action. The cam-track 73 on the wheel 67 operates the elbow-lever 70, and a gradual compression is given to the bundle through the tension on the heavy spring, the lighter one having closed against the partition-block between them and the increased strain being against the heavy compressor-spring proper. When the roller 72 has reached the end of the cam-track 73, the compressor-arm is free to move rearward as the discharge-arms 76 and 77, secured to the compressor-wheel-driving shaft 78, operate to discharge the bound bundles.

79 (shown in Figs. 14, 15, and 16) is a sliding twineguide, knotstripper, and twinecutter. It is guided between ways 79' and 79, secured to the shield-piece S0, and is actuated by the lever 81, pivoted on the frame 36 at 82. The needle carries the cord between the curved prongs 80'. and 80", and it is thereby properly presented to the knotterhook and holding-disk, and after the knot is formed the lower prong, through the movement of the sliding guide, strips the knot from the hook, and at the same time the knife 87 severs the cord.

83 is the short arm of the lever 81 and is provided with aroller 84, that engages with an annular cam-race 85 on the compressorwheel 67, that is properly timed to effect the required movement of the lever to operate the sliding guide and stripper, having jaws or prongs 80' S0 at its outer end.

The long arm of the lever 81 has a slotted hole through which passes the pin 86, secured to the slide 79. The twine-cutter 87 is secured to the slide 79 and pal-takes of its movement. 7

The knotter-driving wheel 23 is provided with gear-teeth on its rim that are continuous with its circumference to drive the com pressor-actuating wheel 67 through the intermediate pinion 69 and also gear-teeth 88 upon about'two-fifths of its circumference to drive the pinion 89, secured to a short shaft 90, to the upper end of which is secured the needledriving crank 29.

The yielding gate 4 is pivoted on the frame 91, to which the breastplate 42 is secured. A spring 92 is attached at one end to a hook 94, secured to the breastplate 42, and its opposite end is attached to a similar hook 93, forming a part of the gate 4, the action of the spring being to hold the gate extended across the throat 2 and allow it to yield against the operative actionof the packing mechanism.

A particular feature of my invention is the absence of any cross-tie between the two separate frames upon opposite sides of the grain-passage, making it possible to have a practically level floor extending from the cutting mechanism of a corn-harvester rearward to the binding mechanism.

Another important feature is the locating of all the positively-operating parts of the binding attachment upon the same side of the grainpassage, thus avoiding the necessity of many of the operative parts sliding on their driving-shafts.

The binder attachment may be adjusted to different heights by any preferred mechanism. The means shown in drawings is a wellknown way made use of in this class of machinery, the same consisting of twin screwthreaded shafts 94: and 95 in a vertical position upon opposite sides of the corn-passage that are made to move simultaneously by means of miter-gears 96 and a cross-shaft 97 connecting their lowerends. A crank 98 is secured to the upper end of one of the threaded shafts by which motion may be given to it.

Nuts are secured in the frames 36 and 91, with which the threaded shafts engage to raise or lower the binder attachment.

Any of the well-known ways may be used to cut and forward the stalks to the binder attachment or to adjust it to different posi-' tions relative to the machine.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a grain-binder, the combination of a packer-shaft, packers driven directly therefrom, a knotter-actuating wheel, said knotter-actuating wheel being located on the said packer-shaft.

2. In a grain-binder packing mechanism, packer-fingers that are pivoted to a continuously-operating wheel, a fixed cam 9 adapted to control the movement of said fingers during a portion of their operative movement, a movable cam 9 having a journal 57 and a gear-segment 58 and adapted to control the further operative movement of the fingers, and a shaft 50 having a gear-segment 59 to engage the gear-segment 58 and move the cam to allow said fingers to rock about their pivots.

3. In a grain-binder, the combination of a grain-passage, a compressor-arm extending across the rear of the passage, a gate adapted to close the passage forward of the compressorarm, said-arm and said gate forming a receiving-chamber between them in the passage, and packing mechanism for forcing the grain past the gate against the compressor, said gate being constructed to yield to allow the grain to pass, but being also unyielding in the direction of the rebound of the grain caused by the action of the compressor.

4. In a grain-binder, the combination of a grain-passage, packing mechanism adapted to carry the grain along said passage, a gate pivoted at one side of said passage, a spring operating to move said gate across the passage against the operative action of the packing mechanism.

5. In a grain-binder, the combination of a grain-passage, a knotter, a binding-arm or needle, and means for operating them, the knotter and needle being located on the same side of the grain-passage.

6. In a grain-binder, the combination of a grain-passage, aknotter mechanism and nee dle on the same side of the passage, means for operating them, and a twine-guide and source of supply located upon the opposite side of the grain-passage from said knotter mechanism and needle.

7. In a grain-binder, the combination of a continuously-driven packer-shaft with packing mechanism attached thereto, a knotterhook, a needle, a knotter-actuating wheel driven by said packer-shaft, a pinion having a crank connected therewith, a pitman conmeeting the crank with the needle, and gearteeth on the knotter-actuating wheel to engage with said pinion and move it through one revolution.

8. In a grain-binder, the combination of a grain-passage, a cord-guide and source of supply located upon one side of said grain-passage, a reciprocating needle having means at or near its point to engage the cord, a knottermechanism, said needle and knotter mechanism being located upon the opposite side of the passage from the cord-guide, and means for reciprocating the needle across the passage to engage the cord and present it to the knotter mechanism.

9. In a grain-binder, the combination of a grain-passage, a cord-guide and source of supply located upon one side of the passage, a knotter mechanism and a needle located upon the opposite side of said passage, a guide for the needle, means at or near the point of the needle to engage the cord, a cross-head se cured to the opposite end of the needle, guideways engaging the cross-head, and means for moving the needle across the grain-passage to engage with the cord and present it to the knotter mechanism.

10. In a grain-binder, the combination of a grain-passage, a needle and knotter mechanism located upon ones ide of said passage, and a cordguide located upon the opposite side, said cord-guide being yieldingly supported in approximately the same plane as the needle.

11. In a'grain-binder, the combination of a grain-passage, a cord-guide located upon one side of the passage, a needle located upon the opposite side of the passage and adapted to enter the cord-guide to engage with the cord, rollers journaled in the guide one above and the other below the plane of the needle, and means for operating the needle to cause it to pass between the rollers to engage the twine.

12. In a grain-binder, the combination of a grain-passage, a cord-guide located upon one side of the passage, a needle located upon the opposite side of the passage and adapted to enter the cord-guide to engage with the cord, said guide having a limited movement in a plane perpendicular to the direction of movement of the needle and a spring that yieldingly sustains it in operative position.

13. In a grain-binder, the combination of a packer-shaft and means for driving it, a knotter, a knotteroperating wheel located on the packer-shaft, a compressor and tripping shaft substantially parallel with the packer-shaft,

ICC

a compressor-arm secured thereto, a camwheel, 'a shaft to which the wheel is secured and which is also substantially parallel with the packer-shaft, a frame in which the shafts are journaled, a connection between the camwheel and the compressor, and an intermediate pinion journaled on the frame and transmitting motion from the knotter-operating wheel to the said cam-wheel.

14. In a grain-binder, the combination of a packer-shaft and means for driving it, a knotter, a knotteroperating wheel located on the paclrer'shaft, a cord-holding disk forming part of the knotter mechanism, a compressor and tripping shaft substantially parallel with the packer-shaft, a compressor-arm secured thereto, a cam-wheel, a shaft to which the wheel is secured and which is also substantially parallel with the packer-shaft, connections between the cain-wheel and the compressor-shaft, a segment of gear on the camwheel, a pinion on the shaft of the cord-holding disk and which engages with the camwheel, an intermediate pinion between the compressor cam-wheel, and the knotter-operating wheel and a frame in which said shafts and pinion are journaled'.

15. In a grain-binder,the combination of a packer-shaft and means for driving it, a knotter, a knotter-operating wheel located on the packer-shaft, acompressor and tripping shaft substantially parallel with the packer'shaft, a compressor-arm secured thereto, a cam wheel, a shaft to which the wheel is secured and which is also substantially parallel with the packer-shaft, connections between the cam wheel and the compressor shaft, discharge-arms that are secured to the camwheel shaft, an intermediate pinion between the knotter-operating wheel, and the camwheel, and a frame in which said shafts and pinion are journaled.

16. In a grain-hinder, the combination of a compressor, a compressor operating camwheel and means for driving it, a knotter mechanism, a knot-stripper and cord-guide adapted to slide relative to the lrnott-er, an annular cam-race on the compressor-operating camwheel, and a vibrating lever engaging with the annular cam-race and adapted to move the cord-guide and knot-stripper.

17. In a grain-binder, the combination of a compressor, an operating-wheel therefor, a knotter, a knot-stripper and cord-guide, and means operatively connecting said stripper and guide with the compressor operating wheel.

18. In a grain'binder, the combination of a knotter, a drive-wheel therefor, a compressor, a compressor-actuating Wheel operatively connected with the knotter-drive wheel, a needle, and means for also operating the needle from the knotter-drive wheel.

In witness whereof I hereto affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

CHARLES R. STRAUGHN.

Witnesses:

GEORGE W. SELTZER, BLANoHE M. RALEIGH. 

